by Lori Foster
Showing just a hint of mad, he glared at her. “You want me to be mad?”
“No, of course not.”
Jesse took his shoulder again. “She’s just saying it’s okay if you are. I got mad at my mom and dad, but it didn’t change anything. They still loved me, and still insisted on doing what they thought was right.”
The pressure built. Kevin worked his jaw. “She’s not my mom.”
Tonya was about to address that—she had no idea how—when a knock sounded on the kitchen door. She twisted to look behind her and found Brick and Merrily standing there, both smiling hugely. Knowing it was dinnertime, they’d crossed the backyard rather than walk around to the front door.
“Are we interrupting?” Merrily asked through the screen.
“Nope.” Jesse stood to let them in. “We just finished dinner.”
“We did too,” Brick told him. “A celebratory dinner.”
“Yeah?” Jesse lifted Love to give the chair to Merrily. “What are we celebrating?”
Too excited to sit, Merrily clapped her hands together. “We bought a house.”
Tonya had been about to stand, but that had her dropping right back into her seat.
“I know, I know,” Merrily rushed to say. “You’re a Realtor. But it was for sale by owner and you’ve had your hands full, so we didn’t want to bother you.”
“We paid for a house inspection,” Brick explained. “All good. It can use some updating, but I’ve enjoyed helping you here, and we’ve already got some ideas, so—”
“Count me in,” Jesse told him.
“You’re moving?” Tonya felt Jesse rest his hands on her shoulders. “You’re really moving?”
Bubbling over, Merrily clapped again. “Yes, and I’m sorry because you know I love you, and I love it here, and you’ve been the best landlord ever. But I also love, love, love the house we found. It has more space and a fenced yard and it’s only five minutes from here so we can still visit often and—”
To shush her, Brick kissed her, making Jesse laugh.
Now that she’d subsided, Brick picked up the explanations. “We’re getting married one week after we close on the house. The honeymoon is on hold until Merrily has a break in her classes. It’s going to be crazy enough just getting everything moved over.”
Merrily smiled at Tonya. “Be happy for me.”
“I am!” She jumped up to draw Merrily in for a big hug. “So very, very happy for you.”
“You don’t mind that we’re moving out?”
“I’ll miss you, and no other tenant will ever be as wonderful as you, but all that aside, I’m thrilled to see you so happy!”
Jesse nudged Brick. “To hear them talk with all that landlord and tenant stuff, you wouldn’t know they were friends.”
“The best of friends,” Tonya corrected, and she hugged Merrily again.
Jesse put his arm around Kevin and drew him into the group. “Just let us know how we can help.”
“Thanks,” Brick said. “Because I’m counting on you to help haul boxes and furniture.”
“We’ll be there.”
Merrily smiled at Kevin. “Weeeelll... I was hoping Kevin might help out with the animals while we move and get set up. Not overnight or anything, but of course the front door will be open a lot and—”
“I’ll do it.”
Merrily mussed his hair. “Thank you, kiddo.”
“I’d offer to take you to dinner to celebrate, but we just finished,” Jesse said.
“No need,” Brick assured him. “We’re heading over to see Evan and Cinder next.”
There was another round of hugs that this time included Jesse and Kevin, and then they were alone again. Tonya wanted to get back to Kevin’s earlier comment, that she wasn’t his mother, but Jesse derailed her.
“So.” He didn’t sit at the table with her, choosing instead to stand there, arms crossed and feet braced apart. “You’re going to have the other half of the house open.”
“I’m sure I’ll be able to find another tenant.”
Far too serious, Jesse watched her. “Maybe you could hold off on that.”
Shrugging, she said, “The rent is a big part of my monthly budget.”
Slowly nodding, he turned to Kevin. “Would you mind having me around more?”
“What?” Heart pounding, Tonya pushed back her chair. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m asking Kevin if he likes me enough to have me around more.”
Put on the spot, Kevin hoisted his shoulders. “I like you a lot more than I liked my mom’s boyfriends.” He laughed without humor. “A lot more.”
“No comparisons, okay?” Jesse braced his hands on the tabletop. “Forget all that, and just think about us. About this.”
His ears went red again, but Kevin nodded. “I like it when you’re here.”
Beaming, Jesse turned to Tonya. “I love you.”
“You...?”
“Love you.” He winked at Kevin. “Love him too. And I love the idea of us as a family.”
A million responses went through Tonya’s mind. She wanted to squeal in excitement. She wanted to grab Jesse and kiss him senseless. But she became aware of Kevin’s stillness.
Cautiously, he came out of his seat.
“You want to marry her.”
“Yes, I do.”
Hearing it confirmed sent that jumbled elation spiraling through her again. “Jesse.”
“You’ll get married and have more kids.”
Pretending nothing was wrong, Jesse told them both, “I wouldn’t mind that. We could open up the other side of the house and use all the space. There’d be more than enough room.”
Kevin backed up a step. A kitten clung to his jeans, and he bent to quickly pry the tiny claws loose, then set it aside.
It came right back.
Smiling, Jesse told him, “You’d make a terrific big brother.”
“Cousin.” Face pale, he lifted the kitten again and this time just held it. “I’d be a cousin.”
“Technically,” Jesse agreed. Then he narrowed his eyes, his expression intent. “But mostly you’d be a big brother.”
Kevin shook his head, and his voice went thin. “You’re not my dad.”
“No.” Jesse took a step toward him. “But I wish I was.”
Face crumbling, Kevin took off down the hall and into his bedroom.
Tonya and Jesse both heard the door slam.
When she started to go after him, Jesse caught her to him. “First things first.”
She fretted.
“It’ll be okay, honey. Will you believe that?”
He looked so confident, so strong, that she nodded. “We can make it so.”
Pleased, he lightly kissed her. “Yes, together we’ll make it so.”
Oh God. Hugging him tight, Tonya said, “I love you, Jesse. So much.”
“Finally.” He pretended weak knees, making her laugh while grabbing for him. Just as quickly he straightened, lifted her high in his arms and turned a circle while kissing her. “You ready to go tackle our first priority?”
Tears stung her eyes. Happy tears. She nodded.
Jesse set her back on her feet, took her hand, and together they went down the hall. She knocked on Kevin’s door.
“Go away.”
Hearing the break in his voice, she and Jesse shared a look. But despite her breaking heart, she smiled. “We did tell him it was okay to be mad.”
“That’s something, I guess.”
The cat wrapped around her leg. Tonya looked down to see the other two kittens had also followed them.
“Kevin,” she said through the door, “Love wants in.”
The seconds ticked by and
then, reluctantly, he opened the door. Immediately Love pushed her way in, and naturally the kittens followed.
It devastated her to see the tears in Kevin’s eyes.
She started to reach for him, but he turned away, going to his desk and dropping into his chair.
Jesse propped a shoulder in the open doorway. “I know you won’t believe this, Kevin, but it’s okay to cry.”
“I’m not!” He scrubbed both fists over his eyes. “I’m not a baby.”
“No.”
“I’m not a wuss, either.”
“I would never say you are.”
Kevin stared up at him with red eyes and a watery nose. “Mom said only babies cried.”
Tonya loved Jesse even more when he said with conviction, “You’ll never hear me say it.”
“Or me.”
“I should miss her,” Kevin insisted.
“And you will,” Jesse told him. “There will be memories good and bad. Unresolved feelings. But, Kevin? You have to know, you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”
Fretfully, Tonya held back as Jesse strode in and stood over him. “I mean that. I have a lot of respect for you. Respect that I hope is mutual. Crying won’t change that. In fact, I’d say you’re past due.”
Suddenly the dam broke and Kevin curled in on himself, his head to his knees, elbows over his ears, rocking back and forth.
Rushing in, Tonya embraced him, holding him as tight as she could, so tight she heard his protesting grunt—and still she didn’t loosen up. “I love you, Kevin. I love you so much.”
He tried to draw a breath, choked and said, “I feel so bad.”
She rocked him, her hands locked around him. “About what? Tell me and we’ll work it out.”
“I’m happy here.”
The whispered words stole her strength, and she slumped, letting him put a few inches between them.
Sniffling loudly, angry and defiant, Kevin pulled away. “I like all this.” He waved a hand—at everything. “All of it.” He stabbed a finger toward Tonya. “You.” And then at Jesse. “Him.”
“You like me?”
His bottom lip quivered before he clenched his jaw and nodded.
Such an amazing gift. She tried on a gentle smile. “It’s okay for you to be happy.”
He shook his head hard, shoving out of his chair and turning his back on them. “It’s so much better here. I like it so much more.” He scrubbed at his face with his forearm. Choking out the words, he said, “I love you guys.”
Looking pretty solemn himself, Jesse said, “We love you too.”
“Mom never did any of this.” He faced them again, his shoulders bunched in insistence. “She cared, though!”
“Of course she did,” Jesse said. “It’s just that people are different.”
“How could she not?” Rubbing his shoulder, Tonya said, “It’s okay for you to cry. To get sad and mad.” Needing him to believe it, she kept her voice firm. “And it’s more than okay for you to be happy.”
Unconvinced, he swallowed. “It’s not that I’m glad she’s gone.”
She nodded her understanding. “I honestly tried my best to save Cissy. I really did. But it was never enough. Now you’re mine, and I need you to know that however the situation worked out, I’m so glad you’re here with me. I will never, ever let you go.”
He surprised her again by giving her a big hug, his skinny shoulders shaking only a little. “Thanks.”
“Thank you.”
Awkwardly, he pushed away and dragged in a strained breath. Using his shoulder, he wiped his eyes. When he realized Love was staring up at him, he bent to give her a pat, whispering, “Sorry, Love. I’m okay now.”
Tonya hoped it was true, that he was okay. “We’re a family.”
“Yeah.” He straightened again, slanting an embarrassed glance at Jesse.
Jesse put his arm around Tonya. “So what do you say? Okay if I marry her so I can be an official part of the family?”
This time it was his nose Kevin scrubbed with his forearm. When he finished, he caught a broken breath, quirked a smile and said, “Guess that’s up to her, but I hope she says yes.”
Tonya took her time fixing Kevin’s hair, then she kissed his cheek, turned to Jesse and said, “Yes.”
Jesse surprised her by pulling both her and Kevin into a group hug. The awkward laughing, reciprocal hugs and overall sense of well-being left her heart full.
Love nudged her way in, and Kevin scooped her up along with a kitten. Tonya picked up the other two.
Jesse watched them both, his satisfaction plain.
“Guess you were right,” Tonya told him.
“Glad to hear it,” Jesse said. “But about what?”
“I know.” Even though Kevin ducked his face against the cat, Tonya could see his smile. He shoulder-bumped her, then went to put the cat and kitten down in their nook. “There’s always room for love.”
Keep reading for an excerpt from DON’T TEMPT ME by Lori Foster.
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Don’t Tempt Me
by Lori Foster
1
Driving the rented moving van was a heck of a lot harder than Honor Brown had counted on. Not since high school had she driven a stick shift. More than ten years later, she’d clearly lost the gift. Wincing as she ground the gears, she ignored her friend Lexie, who rode shotgun and was having a grand time at her expense.
After they bounced over yet another pothole, Lexie groaned. “I feel like we’re killing this truck.”
Maybe because they were.
While staring out the window to check out the new neighborhood, Lexie propped her naked feet on the dash and balanced a frosty can of cola on her midriff. “There are a lot of trees.”
“I know. And they’re so big.”
“Throwing shade everywhere.” She turned toward Honor. “You realize most of these houses look like a flashback to the sixties.”
“It’s the landscaping.” And the cracked sidewalks and, yes, all those mature trees. “I’ll have to redo my entire yard.” Wrinkling her nose, she added, “It’s mostly overgrown and pretty...messy.” A grave understatement. The little patch of lawn in front of the house she’d bought held only weeds and dead bushes and debris. But who cared? She could buy shrubs someday, put in some flowers, maybe a bird fountain, too.
